DATE: June 3, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers and Chairperson and Members of the Community Development Commission
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: ADOPTION OF AMENDED TEXT TO ARTICLE 12 OF THE DOWNTOWN ZONING ORDINANCE ADDRESSING DOWNTOWN DENSITY AMENDMENTS PER LCPA22-00002 TO INCLUDE MODIFICATIONS SUGGESTED BY THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council and the Community Development Commission adopt amended text proposed by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to add language clarifying that the existing downtown density cap of 5,500 units is a target that may be exceeded. The CCC further suggest the addition of language requiring the City to submit a Local Coastal Program Amendment to update density bonus regulations (including within the Downtown District) and add objective design standards for multifamily projects that qualify for streamlined review.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On November 17, 2021, the City Council/Community Development Commission (CC/CDC) adopted an ordinance amending Article 12 of the Zoning Ordinance to remove the 43-dwelling-units-per-acre density limit for mixed-use projects in the Downtown zoning district. By doing so, private development would not be subject to a density requirement, but would be reviewed under objective zoning standards and the Redevelopment Plan's maximum allowance of 5,500 dwelling units as a means to regulate Downtown residential density (Attachment 1).
On October 4, 2023, the CC/CDC considered text amendments to Article 12 to reinstate a density cap of 100 dwelling units per acre and establish an enhanced density bonus schedule (Attachment 5). The CC/CDC voted 2-2 (with Mayor Sanchez absent) on a revised cap of 85 dwelling units per acre with the enhanced density bonus schedule resulting in no action and automatic continuance to the next meeting for further consideration. Pursuant to City Code Section 2.1.34, the May...
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